Cymatic Patterns

Build a simple rig, sweep tones, and capture the hidden geometry of sound. Safe, repeatable, beautiful.

Cymatics Basics

Foundations

Cymatics reveals standing wave patterns on plates or membranes driven by sound. Where motion cancels (nodes), light material collects; where motion peaks (antinodes), material clears. Pattern changes with frequency, boundary shape, and driver position.

Node lines: sand/salt aligns along stationary regions.
Q-factor: sharper peaks yield cleaner, more stable patterns.

Materials & Components

Kit

Essentials

Plate: thin metal (aluminum, brass), acrylic, or 3D-printed plastic.
Driver: small speaker or exciter; optional audio amp.
Signal source: tone generator app or DAW.
Medium: fine salt or sand (consistent grain helps).

Nice to Have

Tripod phone mount or overhead rig for crisp photos.
LED panel or side light for texture.
Double-sided tape or putty to decouple from table.
Ear protection for long sessions.

Plates, Shapes & Fixtures

Setup

Plate Choices

Square or circular plates are easiest. Thinner plates respond at lower levels; thicker plates may hold sharper lines but need more power.

Mounting

Center-mount via bolt or adhesive pad to the exciter. Keep the plate edge free. Avoid rigidly clamping all edges unless you want that boundary condition.

Driver Placement

Off-center often reveals richer modes. Small changes in driver position can unlock new patterns.

Boundary Tricks

Add temporary tape tabs on edges to shift modes; note changes for repeatability.

Driving & Levels

Control

Sweep slowly: 1–3 Hz steps or continuous sweeps at ~1–2 Hz/sec.
Volume: as low as yields visible motion; avoid distortion or heat.
Waveform: sine for clean nodes; try triangle for variety.
Dwell: pause a few seconds on promising tones to let grains settle.

Capturing Patterns

Photos

Clean Results

Dust lightly and evenly; too much medium blurs lines.
Tap plate edge to clear clumps between runs.
Wait for movement to stop before shooting.

Photography

Top-down shot, lock focus, low ISO.
Rake light from the side to emphasize ridges.
Record frequency, plate, driver position in filename.

Troubleshooting

Fix

Only blobs: reduce volume, use finer grain, confirm sine wave.
Nothing moves: raise volume slightly or try a thinner plate.
Patterns unstable: stop sweeping, dwell longer, reduce grain.
One corner dead: try moving the driver a few millimeters.

Experiments

Try This

Mode Map

Sweep 80–800 Hz and note stable tones.
Photograph each; label with frequency and driver position.

Material Compare

Run same sweep on aluminum vs acrylic plates.
Compare sharpness and threshold volume.

Driver Offset

Hold frequency; nudge driver 5–10 mm.
Observe mode change and stability.

Edge Condition

Add two small tape tabs on opposite edges.
Resweep; document how nodes reconfigure.

Gallery Tips

Style

Contrast & Color

Dark plate with light grains or vice versa. Consider colored sands for series; keep lighting consistent.

Layout

Present as grids by frequency ascending. Include small captions with plate, driver offset, and Hz.

Glossary (Quick)

Reference

Node / Antinode

Stationary vs maximum-motion regions in a standing wave.

Mode

A stable pattern at a specific frequency and boundary condition.

Exciter

A small vibration speaker bonded to the plate.

Sweep

Changing frequency over time to find resonant modes.

FAQ

Clarity

What frequencies should I start with?

Try 80–300 Hz for small thin plates. Larger or thicker plates may need more power or higher frequencies.

Do I need a powerful amp?

Not usually. Clean signal and proper mounting matter more than brute force.

Can I use sugar, flour, or glitter?

Yes, but grain size changes behavior. Keep it consistent within a series.

How do I make patterns permanent?

Lightly mist with spray fixative after power-down, or trace onto adhesive film as an art overlay.

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